Plate washing machine



May 26, 1970 A`. cos vALLvERDU PLATE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 2e, 1967 United States Patent O Inf. cl. A471 /40 U.S. Cl. 15-74 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plate washing machine having a tank for containing a detergent solution. Two parallel rotating rollers support the plates. In the interior of said tank are a row of `flat brushes with bristles on both sides fixedly mounted in the walls of the tank and aligned to allow the introduction of a plate between each two confronting brushes through the upper part of the tank. The brushes are somewhat larger than the diameter of the plates. A second tank adjacent to the Washing tank with similar elements has, in addition, spraying tubes for a liquid for rinsing the plates.

This invention refers to a plate washing machine of very simple and economical construction by means of which the work may be realized in an easy and safe manner.

The plate washing machine comprises a container forming a water-tight tank for holding the liquid detergent, in which tank the active elements of the machine are totally or partially submerged, said elements consisting of one or several rows of double faced brushes mounted in a fixed position on adequate supporting pieces separated the one from the other in parallel form, in combination with a pair of rotating rollers situated on a lower plane and at each side of the rows of brushes, the plates to be Washed bearing with their edges on the peripheries of said rollers having been previously inserted between the bristles of two adjacent brushes, said rollers rotating said plates, so that the bristles of the brushes simultane ously brush the two sides of each plate within the liquid.

In order that the plates shall have an adequate and constant rotary plane without deviations therefrom, the driving rollers whose surfaces are of rubber or soft material, may be provided with ribs or annular projecting iianges between which the sides or outer edges of the plates are housed and guided, so that the plates are in a vertical plane with reference to the axes of rotation of both driving rollers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a second tank arranged adjacent to the aforementioned washing tank, provided with similar mechanism for supporting and rotating the plates, the joint assembly having two compartments, one for holding the appropriate detergents in diluted and liquid form, and the other for the simple rinsing of the plates, which receives thereto a plurality of jets of water under pressure by means of an installation of spraying tubes situated between one plate and the next and provided with a series of radial orifices acting as spray nozzles, said spraying tubes and nozzles being preferably arranged to follow the cross section profile of said plates.

The plate washing operation carried out with a machine so arranged is effected with extreme rapidity and security, by inserting the plates in the first mentioned compartment for a few seconds and then passing them successively to the other rinsing compartment without having to stop the machine to insert or remove the plates.

The drawing represents one method only of constructing the plate washing machine in accordance with this invention, wherein:

t t 3,5 13,497 Patented May 26, 1970 1FIG. 1 is an inside view of -the washing tank in cross section.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the machine taken through line II-II of the FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is 'a partial cross section which shows an arrangement of the spraying tubes in the vat or the rinsing compartment.

According to the drawing, the plate washing machine comprises generally an outer parallelepiped container 1 preferably of sheet metal whose bottom consists of a transverse metallic sheet 2 that separates the upper operating compartment 3 from a lower compartment 4 which latter is of sufficient capacity to house a driving motor not shown in the drawing, and also to house other implements or for any other adequate use.

The operative organs of the machine comprise one or more rows of brushes 5 conveniently supported for example on a bar 6 fixed to the lower part of the tank walls, and with bolts and nuts 7, while the pressure of said brushes against the plates 8 is derived from the inherent pressure of the bristles themselves 9 of the brushes.

Beneath the row of brushes 5 and parallel to same are mounted the rollers or cylinders |10 that have a rotating movement, which rollers are parallel to one with the other and separated by an adequate distance to allow each of the plates 8 to be washed to seat thereon tangentially, from which rollers said plates receive their rotary movement at an adequate velocity.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the plates 8 to be washed have to be situated between two confronting brushes 5, which, brushes, 'with the possible exception of the two end ones, are fitted with bristles 9 on both sides so as to simultaneously clean both sides of each plate.

The rollers 10 may be driven by any appropriate means, as for example from a shaft 11 and belts 12 to pulleys 13 solidly fixed to the extremities of said rollers.

Said rollers are provided with a number of annular projecting mouldings 14 adequately distributed so that each adjacent two forming a pair form a canal within which the sides or outer borders of the plates rest, said annular mouldings favouring the correct and non-variable rotatory plane of the plates while avoiding any possible angular deviations of the plates, and assuring in addition and in consequence thereof, a constant and uniform brushing by the bristles 9 of the brushes 5 on to the plates, so that within the ambient of the surrounding liquid the whole of the surfaces of the plates 8 are correctly cleaned. A similar result may be obtained by means of circular slots in the surfaces of the rollers.

Another characteristic of the invention is the provision of another tank 15 of similar constructional form as the tank 3, said tank 15 being `designed to rinse the washed plates, the tank 15 being provided with an installation of several spraying tubes 16, FIG. 3, situated bet'ween the plates and following the contour of said plates, the water proceeding from a manifold tube 17 under pressure and projecting same in jets against the two sides of each plate, while these rotating in front of the brushes 5, the water being evacuated by means of valves through duly localized overiiows when these are necessary.

The two compartments 1 and 15 may be arranged either longitudinally FIG. 2 when their respective roller axes will coincide, or laterally, the former arrangement being preferred for economical reasons as it involves fewer transmission elements, although similar functional conditions prevail with both arrangements.

The driving rollers 10 are preferentially composed of a core of strong material covered with highly resistant to friction material 18 capable of transmitting a rotary movement to the plates 8 situated between their respective brushes, which, by virtue of their arched configuration in concentric sector form assure the simultaneous cleaning of the sides or borders of each plate while maintaining them constantly in a single rotary plane.

I claim:

1. A plate washing machine comprising a washing tank for containing a detergent solution, two parallel spaced rotating rollers in said tank for supporting and rotating plates, and a row of at brushes at right angles to and above said rollers with confronting bristles on both sides in the interior of said tank fixedly mounted in said tank for the introduction of a plate between each two confronting brushes from the upper part of said tank, 'whereby upon rotation of said rollers said plates are rotated in contact with said bristles.

2. A plate washing machine according to claim 1 wherein said brushes have substantially the diameter of said plates and have a curved form adapted to the form of said plates.

3. A machine according to claim 1 'wherein a second tank is mounted adjacent said washing tank, said second tank containing the same elements and fixed brushes as 4 said washing tank, and in addition a plurality of spraying tubes whose conguration is adapted to the space existing 'between said plates, said tubes having a plurality of radial orifices from which jets of a liquid are projected onto said plates during their rotation between said brushes for rinsing said plates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 861,647 7/ 1907 Goldsmith 15-74 2,153,303 4/1939 Fielding 15-74 FOREIGN PATENTS 467,285 `6/ 1914 France.

914,953 1/ 1963 Great Britain.

583,857 10/1958 Italy.

639,286 5/ 1962 Italy.

642,398 6/ 1962 Italy.

EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner 

